Trama: While Joclyn is trapped in the tormenting hell of Cail’s mind, the battle around her only continues to grow and spread.*Edmund has infiltrated the underground hallways of Prague, guiding the massacre that would end the lives of the last of the great magical race. In her attempts to stop him, Wynifred has been captured and her magic restrained. Chained up in the ancient dungeons of Prague, her fate is left in the hands of her father, who has tried to kill her before.With Ryland’s screams and Sain’s fragmented sights as her only company, Wyn must rely on something that has been hidden deep inside of her for centuries to help them break free.*Ilyan’s whole life has been building up to one purpose. Protect the Silnỳ. He knows what he must do, and he has no doubt in his ability to do so.But when his father’s magic removes Joclyn’s mind from her body, he is left protecting the shell of the one person he loves. Desperate to find a way to break her free of her prison, he makes a choice. And that one choice changes everything.Now, Ilyan finds himself bound to Joclyn in a way that he never knew to be possible.They say that blood is thicker than water, but Black Water burns, and Ilyan’s heart may not be strong enough to keep it pumping through his veins and give the girl he loves back into his brother’s care.Even if he can, it may not be safe to do so.

Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

Sain
looked up at me, confused for only a moment before he turned and bolted down
the hall, toward the large chapel.

I
didn’t slow my speed for landing. I flew right into the courtyard, my hard
landing exploding bricks into the air at the rough impact. I straightened
myself and turned to face the courtyard just beyond the gates.

The
few tourists in the courtyard looked through the rubble, for the most part,
confusion covering their faces.

Edmund
was right behind me. I set my jaw and raised my hand, a shimmering shield
flowing from my fingers to cover the large opening of the golden gate.

My
magic surged out of me as it spread in a curtain between the giant arches. I
looked through the magical barrier to see Edmund change his course in order to
intercept me.

Edmund
was almost here, and the shield had not set yet. I pushed harder, my teeth
clenching as I grunted through the pressure, yelling as the exertion hit its
maximum and my magic pushed and pulled to escape from me.

My
mouth opened as I screamed, the shield setting itself into the stone the moment
Edmund’s body hit hard against the barrier. The impact of his collision rumbled
through me, shooting me away from the shield and slamming me into the high wall
behind me.

I
straightened myself the same moment Edmund did, his jaw as set as mine as he
turned to face me. Edmund’s eyes stared into mine, the whites blood shot with
anger and power. I had never seen him this worked up. I could tell at once that
this shield would only hold for a matter of minutes once he decided to come at
me.

Edmund
uncoiled his body as he faced me, his hand lifting to his face. A large chunk
of his arm was missing, the edges blackened with ash. Even with all of my
power, that was all I had been able to accomplish against him.

He
smiled at me as he bit down on his finger, the one I had burned off all those
centuries ago, the replacement forcibly taken from one of his many servants. He
bit down on it and pulled, the flesh separating slowly, his hand dripping with
blood as he ripped the finger from his hand.

“I
have a present for you, Wynifred,” he sneered, his breathing shallow as some
power-based insanity threatened to take over him.

Trama: Twenty-one year old Grayson Alexander finally breaks away from an abusive relationship and finds herself free for the first time in three years.Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, Grayson is intent on sticking with ‘no strings attached’ relationships—one-night stands, and steamy sex.But she didn’t plan on Derrick.Her attraction to the sexy man in uniform quickly turns into an unhealthy relationship. They both try to resist the pull, but neither can stay away.When tragedy strikes, Grayson realizes it’s now or never—walk away or make it work.

A.J. Bennett lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and bulldog. She’s addicted to coffee, popcorn and books. Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream, and she’s extremely excited about her debut novel Now or Never.

Why was she acting like an idiot? He was just a
guy; he probably didn’t even give her another thought after their brief eye
gaze exchange.

Once
she got her drink, she made her way to the cream and sugar stand to grab a
napkin and hightail it out of there. Grayson turned to leave and slammed into a
solid wall of muscle.

Shit.

Coffee
spilled on her hand and down the front of his black T-shirt. As she held the
remains of her coffee out of harms way, her chest pressed firmly against his.
Horrified, she lifted her gaze.

He
cupped her elbows with both hands and steadied her, his startling green eyes
ringed with gold swept over her. Then he reached around her, grabbed a napkin,
and wiped the hot coffee off her hand. She caught herself giving him the once
over while she had his gaze elsewhere; he was so hot, his dark red hair was so
fitting to his rugged facial features.

“You
alright?”

Grayson mumbled something that didn’t sound like English. Her breath
caught at her throat as she took in his powerful frame: his legs were slightly
parted and his faded jeans clung to his muscular thighs. His T-shirt was
stretched over his broad shoulders.

He
smiled instantly softening his hard face. “Why don’t you come and sit down with
me?”

“Um,
what?”

He
tilted his head towards his seat, “The cafe is full. You can share my table.”

Good grief.

All
she did was make eye contact with the guy, and now he thought that gave him the
right to invite her to sit down? She’d clearly been in a relationship way too
long, because she had no idea how to react to his question. A part of her was
curious about this man who made her heart rate speed up with just a glance, but
a much bigger part of her wanted to turn and run. She just got out of one
relationship; she wasn’t about to start another the moment she drove into town.
Besides, she’d always heard two redheads were a disaster waiting to happen.

No thanks, she thought, I have had enough disaster in my life for at
least five more years.

Although, her mother claims she’s only half redhead, the other half
light blonde. So maybe it would only be half a disaster?

Snap out of it Grayson, she thought,
trying to get her shit together and not look like a blabbering idiot.

“I
can’t. I have to meet my family. But thanks for the offer.” Grayson tried to
step by him, but he widened his stance and blocked her.

“Can I at least give you my number?”

Oh my God, Grayson thought, this guy was
persistent. He was hot as hell, but come on.

“Do
you hit on every girl who walks through the door?” Grayson asked with a little
attitude in her voice; she couldn’t let another man gain the upper hand on her
so fast.

He
laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and she wondered how old he was.
“Not all of them.”

#2

Grayson’s stomach flipped when the dark-haired
man pulled up a stool beside her. She had no idea what her sister had said to
the blond, who in turn had brought this sexy stranger to her side. Thankfully,
the bar was dimly lit so he couldn’t see how red her face was.

He leaned towards her resting his forearms on the
table holding her gaze steadily. “What’s your name?”

Grayson froze, she didn’t want to give her real
name. She looked around for inspiration, and then glanced down at the amber and
carnelian bracelet around her wrist. “Amber.”

“Amber.” He rolled the word around as if he was
tasting it. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Todd.”

Grayson raised the glass to her lips finishing
her drink, and then pushed it to the side to pick up the next. She wasn’t sure
why she’d lied about her name, but it was too late now anyway. Maybe if she
pretended like she was someone else, she could actually go through with the
madness?

INTERVISTA

1. Now or Never is your debut
novel how long did it take to write?

I worked on Now or Never for several months. It
was a slow process. I’ve been intrigued by the New Adult genre. I love that sex
is not taboo in the genre. And the age bracket is great. The college years are about finding
yourself and experiencing life without the boundaries of your parents.

2.What are you currently working on?

I’m almost finished with my second novel. It’s
going to be called Unintentional Virgin. It’s been fun to write and can’t wait
to release it. After that I’m going to start on a book about Luna the twin
sister in Now or Never. Because I’ve had so many request to find out what
happens with Grayson and Derrick. I thought that would be a good way to see
where they are and also learn more about the free spirt Luna.

3.Do you have a favorite writing snack?

Popcorn. I LOVE popcorn.

4.Where do you prefer to write?

I really enjoy writing in cafes. There is
something relaxing about that environment. Not to mention it’s a great place to
people watch.

5.Some authors still hand write and then type on the computer. What
about you?

Goodness no. My handwriting is terrible and I
probably wouldn’t be able to tell half of what I’d written. I’m all about the
laptop. I love to move around while I’m writing.

6.How would you describe your two main characters?

Grayson is a bit lost and confused. She recently
got out of a horrible relationship and has never experienced any other men so
she goes a little overboard. And she does it for the wrong reasons. She is
really drawn to Derrick but not ready to believe he could possible be the one
for her.

Derrick is hard to figure out. He had been hurt
in the past. The only woman he ever loved cheated on him with a friend of his. So for the last few years he’s been
unwilling and uninterested in settling down. When he meets Grayson he knows
he’s going to fall so he keeps her at a distance.

7. What do you like to do when you’re not
writing?

I love to read, go hiking and hang out with my
husband.

8.Do you have any advice for new writers?

Write everyday was the best piece of advice I’ve
received. Even if you don’t feel like it. It’s good to get your brain in the
routine.

Trama: Skylla only knows that she has been kidnapped and held prisoner by the foreign invaders and their human allies. And that the world is ending. Or so the humans think. The invaders have made it clear that their arrival is one of hostile intent, and as their takeover spreads, so does the panic across the globe. No one knows how to defeat them, or if it’s even sane to try.Jet, Skylla’s human captor, is up for the challenge, though. A traitor in Skylla’s eyes, he is working with them. But Jet has his own agenda; one that doesn’t include babysitting Skylla or helping the enemies. And as the human race struggles to keep the invaders from achieving their goal, Jet and Skylla’s paths collide to reveal the truth behind Skylla’s abduction.The invaders are headed for the water. Jet is headed for the water. But that’s the last place Skylla wants to be. That’s where the future of humanity lies, and where the bridge to their yesterdays was burned. On a mission to take back what is rightfully theirs, Earth’s population is determined to make sure this isn’t the end. But some endings were never theirs to begin with.

Rachael Wade is the Amazon bestselling author of The Preservation Series, The Resistance Trilogy, and the upcoming sci-fi series, The Keepers Trilogy. When she’s not writing, she’s busy learning French, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment.

The quiet drone of a train’s chugging grew
louder as it approached but was still eerily muted, a graceful ghost passing in
the night. Minimal light shone from the front car as Jet stepped forward to
align himself with its path.

“How do we know where it stops?” I asked,
positioning myself next to him.

“We don’t.”

“So …”

“So we have to make a run for it.”

“You mean jump?”

“Yup.”

“As in … jump onto a moving train.”

“Yup.”

“This is crazy.”

“A dangerously disturbing level of crazy.
No worries, baby.” He patted my shoulder with a smartass grin. “It’s just your
area of expertise.” I narrowed my eyes at him, storing that one away for a
future retaliation jab of my own.

Adrenaline spiked as the train grew closer,
every nerve ending a live wire to the heart pounding violently in my chest. Jet
grabbed my hand, glancing at my gun. “I’ll go first. Once I get a good grip,
I’ll haul you up. Whatever you do, don’t stop running. And don’t let go.”

“I should go first,” I raised my voice to
speak over the rumbling of the track. “You’re hurt. You’re going to need upper
body strength.”

“I’m fine. Don’t fight me on this.”

Blood pounded hot in my ears, my heart rate
jumping and hair blowing wildly around my cheeks as the train began to whizz
by. The rush in my veins propelled me forward the moment I spotted an
opportunity, and I launched into a controlled sprint. Springing upward, I
lunged forward and latched on to the side of the car, the metal handle slipping
beneath my sweaty grip. I shrieked and latched on harder, hearing Jet’s voice
thunder behind me. The train’s vibrations rattled against my chest, sending my
senses on high alert.

Clenching the handle until my knuckles
hurt, I bit down on my lip to ease the tension and yanked hard to the right,
feeling a heavy latch click and shift beneath my fingers. The door slid open
and I hauled myself up and inside, grabbing onto the side of the frame to
steady myself before flipping around to reach for Jet. He was running full
speed after me, his arms pumping tight and sharp at his sides as he tore
forward.

“Come on!” I yelled, extending one arm. It
only took him a few seconds to catch up, his agile form sending his body off
the ground and up onto the car before I could blink. With a loud shout, he
clamped onto my arm, his other hand flying over his chest to cradle his gun. I
was thrown onto my back with a thud before I knew what hit me, his body covering
mine with a crash that left me seeing stars.

“Fucking crazy woman!” he shouted over the
rail’s relentless roar, louder now that we were level with it. “What the hell
do you think you’re doing?” His heat pressed into me, his arms caging me in as
he stared down into my eyes, his nose aligned with mine.

“Fulfilling my sole purpose to drive you
mad, it seems.” I couldn’t help it. The rush sent me sky-high and an explosive
laugh escaped my lungs. I shook beneath him, my breath heaving against his
chest.

“Damn it, Skylla!” He dropped his head as
he gasped for air. “Seriously!” he added for effect, but there was nothing
serious in his voice now. He was laughing too, just as deep, just as
euphorically as I was, and I decided right then that the sound of Jet’s laugh
was almost as sexy as his full lips and ripped body.

“Wanna go again?”

“You’re reckless. I can’t even look at
you.”

“You’re crushing me.”

His head lifted, those blue eyes settling
on me as his laughter slowed. “You deserve it.”

My hand shifted and found his injured hip;
my fingers brushed the bandage through his shirt. He flinched. “And you need to
admit when you need help.”

Pushing himself up, he rolled off me and
sat back on his heels, wincing and gripping his side, his lips pulling back and
teeth visibly grinding with the motion. I sat up and scooted forward, mindful
of the gapingrailcar door. I reached up and slid it shut, slamming it with a
loud grunt until I felt it lock into place. The loud rumble of the wheels hitting
the track was muted now, but the rattling hum still thumped away from outside,
filling the dimly lit car with a shaky buzz.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“Fine. Play it your way. I’m going to see
if I can find you some medicine.”

I helped push him backward to prop him
against the wall, peeling his backpack from his shoulders first. “Try and rest,
I’ll see what I can find out.”

“I’m not letting you wander around these
cars alone. Not fuckin’ happening.”

“If you don’t rest and get medicine for
that wound soon, I’ll be stuck wandering everywhere alone. That ointment won’t
cut it. You’re going to need antibiotics. It’s starting to get infected.”

His gaze snapped up to mine and held my
stare. “Finger on the trigger.”

Trama: Carly and her best friend Becca are ready to drop a nuclear bomb on summer. It’s the last one before reality sets in and they’re off on their own. Carly is ready to break the mold and stop being known as a goody-two-shoes. In order to get the ball rolling, she agrees to a double date with Gavin – her good-looking, yet moody, lab partner.Gavin doesn’t have summer plans except to work at his two jobs and hang out in his room drawing. He likes to keep to himself, but lets his brother Nate talk him into going on a double date. Carly isn’t like the rest of the girls at school that drive him crazy. She doesn’t ask a lot of questions and seems to know when to give him the space he craves. Gavin always thought that she was beautiful, but he believes that relationships and love are a lost cause.Will their date prove that summer love is right around the corner or will it be a dead end?

INTERVISTA

What is your latest news?

“Summer Love” was published July 8, 2013.
It’s the first book in the series “Senior Year.” A lot of hard work went into
it and I am truly excited about its release. I believe it is my best work so
far. I have already begun writing book two.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have always wanted to write a series. The
summer before senior year seemed like the perfect beginning point. Who doesn’t
love summer and the freedom it brings?

How did you come up with the title?

The word summer had to be in the title. I
toyed around with a few possibilities and took some polls—“Summer Love” was the
clear winner.

All of the titles in the series will center
around a season. The next book is, “Falling Into You.”

Are experiences based on someone you know,
or events in your own life?

Yes and No. I chose a four-year-old girl
that I know and imagined what she’ll be like when she’s seventeen years old and
then plopped her in the middle of a situation. Also I incorporated pieces of my
own daughter. She loves to sing and I could easily imagine her joining a band
someday or working toward a music degree. In the end, the characters are of my
own creation and imagination.

If Hollywood made your book into a movie
who would you cast as the leads?

This is one of my favorite questions—to
think people would love my book enough to want to turn it into a movie.

I would choose Vanessa Hudgens to play
Carly. She is beautiful and perfect for the role. My ideal Gavin would be
Landon Liboiron. He is super cute and has brilliant blue eyes that look like
the water in the Bahamas (just like Gavin’s eyes are described in “Summer
Love”.)

Coffee or tea?

Coffee all the way. Once upon a time, I was
an exchange student in Spain where I fell in love with all things Spanish,
including coffee. I loved meeting
friends “para tomar un café.”

If you could wear your pajamas all day, would you?
Why or why not?

Of course, I would. And many times I do,
especially when I’m writing.

What’s your favorite dessert?

Ice cream. I would eat
it every day if I could. During the summer I love visiting all the different
local ice cream stands and sampling all the delicious flavors.ESTRATTI#1

Carly wasn’t the typical sexy girl who
walked by in the hall every day at school—she was a special kind of beautiful,
the type of beautiful that took your breath away. And at that very moment, I
was in desperate need of an oxygen tank. Carly didn’t seem to realize how
beautiful she was, which was another turn-on. I am in serious trouble of breaking my own promise.

She cleared her throat, jolting me out of
my trance. “Gavin, there’s another reason why I’m glad you showed up tonight.”

“There is?” I wasn’t sure where she was
going with this, but I patiently waited for her to continue.

“I’ve wanted to apologize.”

“For what?” I quickly racked by brain, but
couldn’t think of anything she’d ever done to warrant an apology.

“For the way I acted on our date the other
night. I was rude,” she winced. She looked cute when she thought she’d done
something wrong. I ran my finger across the top of her nose.

“Girly,
don’t be sorry. I should’ve been supportive.” This was the first time she
hadn’t yelled at me for calling her that. Taking it as a positive sign, I
rambled on, “I was a total dickhead, and if anything, I owe you another date.”
The perfect lead-in. “Carly, will you go on a real date with me? And not a
double date, because I don’t want to share you with anyone.” Okay, I did it. I broke down and asked her
out when I’m not looking for anything. And anything with Carly would be
something. She’s not the type of girl who is known for one-night stands.#2

The band played and I held my breath,
waiting to hear Carly’s voice. I thought maybe she’d lost her nerve. I was
ready to rush in and rescue her, even if she didn’t want me to, when, like
magic, she began to sing. The notes that came out of her mouth were full and
sensuous, changing the band’s sound completely. It was harmonious, free
flowing, and full.

I’d heard the band last summer, and even
though they were good, something had always been missing. That something was
Carly. Her voice fit and molded perfectly with Nate’s, and I felt another tinge
of jealousy. Their sound filtered through the cracks and walls of the garage
and into the night air. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I found myself
slinking back into the garage as the song came to an end. I felt empty and lost
when she hit the last note, and every cell in my body craved more. I’d been
wrong. So very wrong.

Everyone in the garage was silent, as if
the music had cast a spell on them. All of a sudden, led by Ed, claps and
cheers echoed. Carly looked elated until her gaze landed on me. I read in her
eyes that she thought I was a jerk for not believing in her, and I couldn’t
blame her. I was a jerk.

Trama: Mary is part Vietnamese. Carter is a complete jerk. Normally, they don't talk much.But when Mary's in an accident on the way to school one morning, Carter nearly dies saving her life. The doctors say his chances of living are slim, and Mary's feeling the full weight of survivor's guilt.However, Carter's back at school in a matter of days, as if nothing had happened. Although, he is a little "glitchy," and he's developed a sudden and intense interest in Mary. She thinks he's suffering from major brain trauma from the accident. Or that he's been possessed.As it so happens, Carter really is possessed. And the thing controlling him is having the time of its life learning to be human.Featuring a diverse cast of characters, RADIANT is a funny "paranormal-lite" story about being human, being in love, and being healed.

Christina Daley made her first book with neighborhood friends when she was four years old. They "wrote" out some semblance of lettering with crayons, cut up a cardboard box for the cover, and bound it all together with clear adhesive tape. It was brilliant.Quite a few years later, Christina is trying her hand at writing "real" books. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with a pet plant named Herb.

I was working on another book
called Seranfyll at the time, but I
ran out of ideas about 20 pages into it and set it aside. I then came across
these random science articles--some were about comets and others were about
health, for instance. I can't remember where the possessing idea came from, but
I started to wonder what it would be like for a person to almost die and then
get possessed by something that wasn't a ghost or an alien. The story grew from
there into Radiant. After I got Radiant out of my system, I came back to
Seranfyll and finished that as well.

Do
you have any other works in progress?

I always have WIPs! I'm
working a historical fiction YA that I'm keeping under wraps for now
(translation: I haven't gotten very far on it, lol!). And recently, I pulled
out some of my old art supplies and started re-learning how to draw. I'm not
very good at it, but if you're interested in seeing a sampling of what I've
done since April, check out my blog at christinadaley.blogspot.com.

What
is your writing process like?

I'm not entirely sure, lol!
It's different for each project. I don't outline, but I may write a bunch of
notes or even a working synopsis (that ALWAYS changes by the time the first
draft stage). Sometimes I write the first few chapters long hand, and other
times I'll go straight to the computer and start typing. Sometimes I write at
my desk, but I've been favoring my couch lately because it's more comfortable.

Any
writing tips you would like to share?

Read well and as often as you
can! Certainly read in the genre you write in, but also read in other genres
for the sake of enjoyment and perspective. I'm a pretty slow reader, so I don't
get to read a whole lot of books each year. But I jump around genres a lot,
from kids books and classics to manga. And don't shy away from books you think
aren't well done, since those are valuable at teaching how you don't want to
write.The other tip I'd
give is to do it for the love of the game. There is a business aspect to be
aware of when you decide to publish your work for profit. But at the end of the
day, write because you love to tell stories and because this is the medium by
which your thoughts flow best. If you write for any other reason, you're
probably wasting time.

What
are your favorite books?

That's tough! But at the top
of the list is C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe. I also really loved Ender's Game (looking forward to the movie when it comes out!). And
this may be just because I'm learning how to draw right now, but two manga that
I really enjoyed are Fullmetal Alchemist
by Hiromu Arakawa and Bleach by Tite
Kubo (although, I haven't read Bleach
beyond the anime run).

How
can readers contact you?

All my contact information is
on my blog (christinadaley.blogspot.com),
including my email and links to my Facebook page and Twitter. I tend to get
really quiet on social media whenever I'm working on a project (like now!), but
if you @ me on Twitter or post something on FB or email me, I'll definitely
respond.

ESTRATTI

#1

A voice called to her. It seemed close, and it was
getting louder as the pain got sharper."Hey? Hey! Are you all right?"
it asked.

Mary blinked several times before she could finally see
again. She was in the middle of the street. The cars had stopped and people on
the sidewalk were staring.

"Are you all right?" the voice asked again.
It was coming from a man wearing some type of uniform.

"Careful," he said as he helped her up.
"Looks like you can move all right. Here, let's get you out of the
street."

He helped her over to the sidewalk. "Stay here.
Someone's calling the paramedics." And then he was gone.

Mary sat there, still in a daze. She started noticing
familiar stuff all over the ground—an open book bag, books, folders, unused
tampons, a shoe, and an apple with one bite mark. Her eyes followed the trail of
debris to a brilliant red sports car, half of which was smashed in by a city
bus.

What had happened? Mary studied the whole scene, trying
to puzzle together the pieces. Then it dawned on her. The car had hit her. Not
intentionally. She had run in front of the bus without knowing it. It was about
to hit her, but the car hadgotten in the wayfirst. It had saved her life.

Mary thought about looking in the car. Then her feet
sorta moved without her meaning them to, and she made her way to the passenger
door. She recognized the person inside. Carter. She knew his last name, but she
couldn't think of what it was. He was slumped over the seat with blood oozing
all over his face. His eyes were shut.

Mary knocked on the window. The tears in her hand
stung.

No response.

She beat the window with her fist.

Still nothing.

Mary stared. She couldn't believe it. On any other day,
she wouldn't exchange two words with this guy. Just yesterday, he nearly mowed
down an elderly couple while driving out of the school lot. Mary had secretly
wished he'd be taught a lesson.But she didn't mean this.

She tried the door handle, but it was still locked.
Suddenly, Carter's eyes flickered opened. He looked straight at her.

Mary gasped and pressed her face against the window.

Carter's eyes closed.

She stared at him, waiting for him to open them again.
Waiting for any sign of life. But he was still like he was before.

Hands suddenly took hold of Mary, pulling her away from
the car. Her feet moved on their own again. Someone was yelling "Miss"
a lot. Parts of her brain found other noises too, like sirens, voices, beeping,
and other things. The hands directed her to sit on something hard and cold.

"Miss? Can you hear me? Can you tell me your name?"

Mary didn't answer. She still hadn't found her voice, and
her mind was fuzzy, too.

"Is that her bag there? Does she have a driver's
license?"

A different person spoke. "No license, but I found
a student ID. Her name's Mary Phan. She's seventeen and a junior here at Lewis
Prep."

Mary heard a third voice. "I just talked with some
of the kids on the sidewalk. One of them said her mom's a nurse at the memorial
hospital."

"Find out how to contact the mom. Anyone see what
happened?"

"Cops are questioning witnesses right now. Looks
like she ran in front of the bus. It would've nailed her if that sportster hadn't
gotten in the way."

"Anything on the bus or the driver of the car?"

"Everyone on the bus looks fine. The car belongs
to a kid named Carter Maxwell. Also a junior." A sigh. "I wouldn't
hold my breath. He looks really bad in there." Mary tuned out everything else. All sights. All sounds. The only thing she could see in her mind was
Carter staring at her.

#2

"What about the kid the red car?" Mary asked.

The doctor took off his glasses. "I'm sorry. He
didn't make it."

Mary stared at him. "But he looked at me."

Mom and the doctor exchanged concerned glances. Mary
looked down at her bandaged hands, trying hard to remember. A lot of details
still weren't clear, but she did remember Carter opening his eyes. If only for
a quick moment. "Can I see him?" she asked

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Mom
said.

"Mom," Mary said. "Please."

Mom's brow wrinkled. Then, she sighed. "We can see
if his parents will allow it."

The doctor released her, and Mary left the room with
her mother. When they got to the end of the hall, they saw a homely couple
speaking with one of the ER surgeons. The woman was crying, and the man
clutched her as if he was keeping her from falling apart.

"I'm very sorry Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell," the
doctor said.

"We're not the Maxwells," the man said.
"I'm Marcos Romero, and this is my wife Linda. We're their housekeepers.
Carter's father and stepmother are out of the country right now."

"I see," the doctor said. "Have either
of you contacted his parents? Or his mother?"

"I called and left a message for Mr.
Maxwell," Mr. Romero said. "Carter's mother past away several years
ago from cancer."

Mrs. Romero wailed. From the way she was crying, she
might as well have been Carter's mom. Mary wished that she could cry with her.
Mom once joked that Mary was born with the tiniest tear ducts in the world, so
she didn't cry often. Now, she wished she could drum up a couple tears, if
anything to not seem so unsympathetic.

Mary looked at her mother, who nodded. Then, she
cautiously approached them. "Excuse me. But I'm Mary. I'm the…what I mean
is…." She couldn't find the right thing to say. Mary had always been
terrible with words. Especially the sensitive ones needed for things like this.

Mrs. Romero looked at her disheveled school uniform and
her bandaged hands and knees. "You
were the girl who was almost hit by the bus," she said.

"Are you all right?" Mr. Romero asked.

Mary nodded. "I am, thank you. But I was wondering
if I could see him? Carter, I mean."

"I would advise against that," the surgeon
said. "The body…I mean Carter…is not—"

The doctor looked at her. At last, he sighed and
gestured for Mary to follow him.

Mary was used to hospitals, ever since Mom became a
nurse. But she had never seen an operating room occupied. Instruments and
equipment were still in the places where the doctors and nurses had left them
when they were trying to save Carter's life. At the center was the operating
table with a still figure on it, covered with a bloody sheet.

The doctor took part of the sheet. "Are you sure
about this?"

No, Mary thought. But she nodded nonetheless.

He pulled the sheet down to Carter's neck.

Mary stared at the broken, pale face of a boy she
hardly knew.

"I'll give you a few minutes." The doctor
left the room to wait outside.

Mary studied Carter's closed eyes. Maybe when they had
opened in the car, it was because of an involuntary spasm. Or maybe she really
had just imagined it.

Mary bowed her head, once again wishing she could cry
now. But all she could offer was a meager, "I'm sorry."

Mary took one last look at Carter as she turned to
leave. But she stopped.

A single tear slowly fell from the corner of Carter's
right eye.

Mary rubbed her eyes, making sure her vision was clear.
Then she looked again.

The doctor looked at her curiously. "Are you sure?
Maybe the tears came from you?"

Mary frowned. Couldn't he tell she wasn't crying?
"You have to check him again," she said.

The Romeros looked at the doctor, like they had seen a
glimmer of hope struggling through the sorrow. He sighed and shrugged, but he
turned and went back into the operating room.

A tense few minutes passed. Suddenly, the doctor burst
from the door, calling for his team. Several nurses rushed in and the door
closed again.

Mary and the others hardly breathed, let alone spoke,
as they waited in the hall.

Finally, after what felt like ages had passed, the
doctor came out again, followed by the undeniable sound of the heart monitor
beeping.

Carter was alive.

#3

The
bell rang again, and Mr. Hubert began the Pre-Calculus lesson. But Mary hardly
paid attention as she thought about what Sienna had told her. Was Carter really
here at school? Now? She only had her last class with him—Physics. He normally
sat in the back with some of his friends, while Mary took one of the lonely
desks near the front. She'd have to wait until then to see if he was in a body
cast or something.

When
Pre-Cal was finished, Mary gathered up her stuff and headed for the door with
the others as usual. But the moment she stepped outside, she collided with
another person. "Gah!"she cried as waves of pain surged through her
bruised side, bringing her to her knees.

"Mary!"
Sienna said as she came over to her. "Geez Carter. What's wrong with
you?"

Mary
looked up. The person she had run into was Carter Maxwell. He wasn't in a body
cast and he didn't have crutches or anything. He looked normal, actually.
Except for the thick black sweater he wore over his school uniform.

"I
am sorry," he said. "I did not mean to cause harm." He then
knelt down and looked Mary in the eyes. There was a subtle spark of life in his
green irises. "Are you all right, Mary?" he asked.

She
didn't say anything for a moment. Mary didn't know that Carter knew her name,
and she had never noticed he had green eyes before. Nor how nice they looked
when he was concerned.

She
shook her head quickly to break off his gaze. "No. I mean, yeah. I'm
fine."

The
corners of his mouth curled into a half-smile. "I am glad."

People
were staring at them. Mary blushed under the added attention, and she quickly
got to her feet.

"All
right. See you in Art." Sienna shot one last warning look at Carter before
heading down the hall.

Mary
picked up her bag and turned the other direction. As she walked, she realized
people were still looking at her. That's when she noticed Carter was walking
next to her. And he was doing it in a really weird way. He made each step deliberate,
like he was doing mini-lunges.

"What
are you doing?" she asked.

"I
am walking," he said.

"Um.
Okay." Mary looked forward again, thinking that when she got to her
locker, he'd go away. But he didn't. He stopped with her.

"I'm
all right, Carter," she said. "You don't have to help me."

"Okay,"
he said.

Mary
looked at him from the corner of her eye as she put her Pre-Cal stuff away and
got her Art things. "Are you all right?"

Carter
smiled. "I am. Thank you for asking."

Sienna
was right. Carter was acting weird. That bus sure did a job on his brain.

"Don't
you have to go to class or something?" she asked.

"Yes,"
he said.

Mary
closed her locker and headed towards Art. Carter followed. The halls were
emptying as kids got to their rooms, but it was still embarrassing with him
lunging next to her. Mary stopped and faced him. "Listen, Carter. I really
am all right. You don't have to walk with me to class." In fact, she
preferred that he didn't.

He
smiled. "You said that already."

"Yeah,"
she said. "So…stop following me."

Carter
wrinkled his brow. "Do I make you uncomfortable? Walking with you like
this?"

Give
the man a prize. "Uh, yeah," Mary said. "Very."

He
looked a little sad suddenly. "I am sorry. I will leave you alone."
He turned and walked down the other hall.

Mary
felt bad. She didn't mean to make him sad. She just wanted him to stop
following her. She sighed and headed down the same hall to apologize. But when
she got there, she didn't see him. "Carter?"

He
was nowhere. Despite the weird lunges, he apparently could move quickly.

That's
when she remembered. For days, Mary had put herself through a series of guilt
trips, thinkingCarterwas going to die or end up a vegetable.She had never
considered everything going back to normal.Or, relatively normal.This was the
first time she'd seen Carter since the hospital, and she had forgotten to thank
him for what he had done.